Still frozen in place and barely able to breathe, Leah tried to decide her best course of action. Retreat farther into the woods? Attempt a hoot owl sound and see if Jon answered? She’d heard nothing that sounded like a car. No tires crunching, no engine noise, no car door closing. No car meant no rifle to steal. And no need to risk exposing herself by returning to Jon to assist with the rock throwing. But what should she do? Stay here? Move quietly toward the front of the building? What?
She heard the rustling sound again, followed by Jon’s voice. “False alarm.” He was calling out to her from the front of the building.
Seriously? Still clutching the warm-ups to her chest, she slowly stood, looking all around her before she cautiously made her way back to where she’d left him. As much as she felt relieved, she also felt the pain of the fresh scratches incurred by leaping into the nasty underbrush. “What’s going on?” she asked as she rejoined him.
“Sorry about the false alarm.” He was still squinting down the road. “I really thought I heard a car engine, thought it was coming this way. I jumped the gun. But let’s get out of sight just in case.”
“Well, I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry.” She slipped her arm around his waist, helping him to walk back to their most recent hiding spot.
“Thanks.” He clung to her shoulders, leaning into her.
“I nearly fell off the top of the fence when I heard your hoot owl noise.” She attempted a chuckle. “I was so scared.”
“Sorry about that.” He peered curiously at her when they reached their hiding spot. “Hey, what happened to your clothes?”
“I pulled a Peter Rabbit,” she said wryly.
“Huh?” He eased himself down to the ground, leaning against the fallen log with a tired sigh.
“Didn’t your mom ever read you that story as a child?” She tugged the velour pants on over her running shorts, noticing how grubby and torn they’d gotten. But at least they’d offered some protection to her legs. Not that they’d last much longer.
“Maybe. I don’t recall.”
“Peter loses his clothes when he sneaks under the garden gate to get away from Mr. McGregor.” She pulled on the jacket, zipping it up and patting the zipped pocket to be sure Jon’s phone was still there. She removed it, showing it to him. “The battery is about half now. We better power down.”
“For sure.”
She turned it off, then held the phone out to him.
“You keep it, Leah. While I’m driving us out of here, you can be trying to get a signal—and call for help.”
She frowned at his bad leg. “You sure you can drive with that wound?”
He nodded. “Positive.”
She zipped the phone back into her pocket, removing the crumpled plastic water bottle from her other pocket. “I wanted to find a place to refill this,” she said, “but I—”
“Listen.” Jon held a forefinger to his lips.
She froze, straining her ears to hear. “I think that’s a boat on the ocean,” she finally whispered. “I know it sounds closer, but sound travels over water.”
He nodded. “I think you’re right. Listen, it’s gunning its engine. So I did hear something. Just not a car.”
“And I noticed a boat a couple miles out on my way back here,” she explained. “Looked like a crabber, but maybe it’s the one that’s supposed to pick up the girls tonight.”
“Makes sense they’d use something that looks like a fishing boat or crabber. Easier to overlook.” He frowned. “I sure hope this is the night and that Krantz is the one coming back here.”
“You think it could be someone else?”
“It stands to reason that there are some other creeps involved in this.”
“Well, even if it’s a different car—are we still breaking into it?” she asked.
“What choice do we have?”
“But what if there’s no gun inside the car?”
“A chance we have to take. If there’s no gun and the keys are inside, we’ll just steal the car.”
“And leave Mom and the girls behind?” She looked at him in alarm.
“How else will we get help?”
“You’re right.” She slowly nodded. “I just hope it’s Krantz’s car—with his gun inside.”
“Me, too. I really want to get my hands on that rifle—and on him.”
“So let’s say that it is Krantz—what’s the rest of the plan? What will we do with him once you get him to surrender his revolver?” Even as she said this, she wondered if that would even happen. Krantz was stubborn and mean. He might rather go down shooting than surrender. What if he killed Jon first?
“I have most of the logistics figured out.” He rubbed his chin. “After I secure his gun, we’ll get him on the ground and you’ll help me tie him up. Hopefully we can find some rope or something inside the warehouse that will work.”
“Right. Then what?”
“I’ll get his keys. We’ll leave him here, securely locked in the warehouse.” He made a mischievous grin. “Give him a taste of his own medicine. And then we’ll drive the girls and your mom out of here. Hopefully we can make it to town without being recognized. And with Krantz tied up like that, he won’t be able to alert anyone about what happened. As soon as we get to a place with connectivity, you’ll start calling the state police or coast guard or FBI. And then we’ll just keep driving until we reach someplace safe.” He frowned. “Maybe the coast guard station. Or the fire station in town. Or maybe just a restaurant where there are other people around.”
“A restaurant.” She sighed. “Food...”
He grimaced. “Yeah, I’m starving, too.”
She frowned. “I hope Ralph is okay.”
“I’m sure he’s fine. Probably snoozing comfortably, dreaming about chasing rabbits.”
She looked into his eyes. “Do you think we’ll really make it out of here tonight, Jon? In Krantz’s car? With my mom and the girls? You think we’ll really get free?” As she asked him this, she felt a lump growing in her throat. Maybe it was just plain exhaustion and hunger and fear, but she was feeling totally hopeless and on the verge of tears. She wouldn’t admit it, but Jon’s desperate plan sounded worse than impossible to her. So many things could go wrong.
“We have to get out of here,” he said solemnly.
“Yeah.” She glanced at her watch. “So I guess he could be here in an hour or two,” she said quietly. “Until it’s dark and the tide comes in.”
“We should probably try to get some rest until then...help us be prepared for what’s ahead.”
She leaned against the log next to him, trying not to imagine what felt like a suicide mission. “Feel free to snooze if you want. I’ll stay awake. I’ll just nudge you if I hear the car—or anything else.” She still wasn’t convinced the search party wouldn’t show up on foot—or with dogs. What she and Jon would do if that happened—she had no idea. She glanced at Jon, curious as to whether he was having any of the same doubtful thoughts as she was. But he actually looked somewhat at ease.
“I don’t think I could sleep,” he said quietly. “But it does feel good to relax.”
“Yeah. I can’t remember ever feeling as sore and tired as I do right now. A marathon sounds easier.”
“You’ve done a lot of running under some pretty horrific circumstances. I’m impressed you can still walk.”
“I was thinking the same about you—and with your gunshot wound. That’s impressive, too.”
“Well, I was kind of surprised that I could carry that rock back here. It wasn’t exactly nearby.” He made a lopsided grin. “But I’m not as tough as you.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m guessing you’re a lot tougher, Jon. Under normal circumstances anyway.”
“Normal circumstances...” He shook his head. “It’s hard to remember what normal feels like.”
“I know.” As she gazed into his dark brown eyes, she wished these were “normal circumstances.” She wondered how they would behave if they were. Or had they simply been forced into a relationship that would never have evolved in the real world? And yet she knew they’d both felt some chemistry. She hadn’t imagined that.
Remembering the kiss they’d shared sent a warm flush up her neck and into her cheeks. Certainly that wasn’t just a fluke, was it? Did people normally kiss when feeling fearful for their lives? Was it possible to fall in love under abnormal circumstances? Or was romance limited to normal? Leah wasn’t sure.
But she was sure about this—she and Jon lived in totally different worlds. Jon and his parents were well-educated attorneys. And from what she had seen—based on their lovely vacation cabin and their ocean cruise—this family was pretty well-off, if not downright wealthy. Meanwhile, Leah was barely scraping by. With her mom in nursing home care, she had spent the past few years working two part-time jobs just to support herself and pay for nursing school. She was a scrapper trying to carve a future for herself. And yet Jon was reconsidering his law career in order to pursue art—taking time off just to figure things out. Their lives were as different as night and day.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked with quiet curiosity.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged and looked away.
“You seemed pretty deep in thought.”
Feeling trapped, she tried to come up with something else. Something not quite so revealing. But something that might foster an open discussion—related to the kiss. Because, really, it was that kiss that had got her going down these mental rabbit trails. “Earlier today, when I was out there running for my life trying to get phone connectivity, I actually had some time to think.” She looked back at him now. “And I realized how devastated I’d be if I didn’t see you again, Jon. I mean, if anything happened to you—I would be really sad.”
His eyes seemed to warm. “I was having similar thoughts, Leah. I was really worried that you might get caught on your way into town. That was pretty disturbing. Consequently, I was praying really hard for your safety.” He smiled. “I’m glad you made it back in one piece.”
“Thanks. I was praying for you, too.”
“But I have kind of a strange confession to make.” He seemed troubled. “I was actually worried about you finding safety. Like, what would happen if you made it all the way to town with no problem? That concerned me.”
“You’re kidding. Why?”
“Because that would end our time together.” He shook his head with a funny expression. “I know that sounds completely nuts. And I suppose I’m not totally serious—I mean, I do want us to make it out of this. But a part of me didn’t want it to end.” He made a sheepish smile. “Because I’ve really enjoyed getting acquainted with you, Leah.”
“Me, too.” She smiled sadly as the realization hit her. He was confirming her doubts. Justifying her concerns that their meeting was a fluke. Here she’d been longing for different circumstances when the problem was that they were from different worlds. Their precarious relationship would naturally dissolve once they were out of this mess. End of story. And, really, she told herself—getting out of this mess and back to her previous life should be enough. If they made it out alive, she should be nothing but hugely grateful.
Despite his claim at being unable to sleep, Jon closed his eyes and, judging by his even breathing, he was either asleep or deeply resting. Not wanting to disturb him with more conversation, Leah simply studied his profile. There was no denying Jon Wilson was a very handsome man. Perhaps even more so when he wasn’t aware that he was being stared at. She was tempted to use his phone to take a photo of him. Something she could later send to herself—when they were safe. Something she could keep to remember him by—after this relationship ended. Because deep inside her, she knew they would part ways. Oh, he’d be polite about it. Maybe he’d even promise to call sometime. But he wouldn’t. Guys like Jon just didn’t fall for girls like Leah. Not in her experience anyway.
She suddenly remembered that amazing painting of Monica. Now, that was the kind of girl that someone like Jon Wilson fell for. Beautiful, sophisticated, probably well educated and probably from a wealthy family of influence. Of course, this reminded her that she’d never really heard the rest of the Monica story. Even though she’d tried to get him to open up, Jon had seemed somewhat evasive. Almost as if that story wasn’t over yet. Oh, he’d acted as if there was nothing to talk about, but she’d still felt uncertain. Not to mention insecure.
Leah knew that this particular brand of insecurity—feeling inferior to a woman like Monica—was her own personal problem. Something she’d learned in middle school because of mean girls—and something she’d been determined to have gotten over by now. She hated to admit to this to anyone, even herself, but she had never been comfortable around “beautiful” women. She sometimes told herself she didn’t have time for those impeccably dressed, picture-perfect women—the ones with perfectly manicured nails and every hair in place. But the truth was they made her nervous. Oh, she admired them sometimes from a safe distance, but she did not relate to them. Not at all.
Leah had always been a hands-on, can-do, roll-up-your-sleeves kind of girl. No time for hair and nails and makeup. Proud to be a tomboy. More interested in sports than fashions and fads. This was partly from not having had a dad in the home, and partly because her mother had never been a particularly strong person. Even as a child, Leah had been the one to pick up the slack—wherever her mother happened to drop it, which she’d done a lot. More so as she’d gotten older.
The fact was that Leah prided herself on being independent and strong. And she felt fairly certain she could never relate to someone like Monica, much less be her friend. In Leah’s eyes, which were probably judgmental and possibly inaccurate, Monica seemed like an entitled princess. The kind of girl who was used to getting what she wanted. And, unless Leah had misread the expression in the eyes of the sketches and painting, Monica had wanted Jon.
Also, it bothered her that someone as seemingly “down-to-earth” as Jon had been involved with a girl like Monica, who seemed the princess type. It just didn’t make sense. Of course, now she had to question whether she really knew Jon as well as she presumed. She resisted the urge to reach over and push a strand of hair off his forehead—too personal.
She reminded herself—harshly—that they had only been acquainted since yesterday. Twenty-four hours? Was it possible? Was that all the time that had passed since their first encounter with Krantz? Leah frowned at her watch. It felt like days. Maybe even a week. And she felt as if she hadn’t eaten or slept for a week. She looked up into the sky to see that it was starting to get dusky. The sun must’ve gone down a few minutes ago. It wouldn’t be too long until high tide now.
She turned back to Jon, relieved to see that he seemed to be soundly sleeping. As a nurse, she knew how restorative sleep could be for a patient’s recovery. It wouldn’t repair his leg, but it might help him to get through the next couple of hours. Because no matter what happened, the rest of their night was not going to be easy.
Jon suddenly opened his eyes, making her turn away from staring at him. “You okay?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah...sure,” she answered. “Just thinking.”
“I guess I dozed off.”
“I’m sure you needed it.”
“What were you thinking about?” he asked in earnest. “You looked pretty serious.”
She sighed, wishing she could be totally honest about all the thoughts that had just been tumbling through her head. Wishing she had the nerve to question him about his feelings toward Monica. Wishing she could ask him the meaning behind their shared kiss earlier. But maybe she wasn’t any more ready for that than he was. Apart from feeling intrusive, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear his truthful answer in regard to the lovely Monica. Besides, she chided herself—this wasn’t the time or the place for this conversation. Perhaps there would never be a proper time or place.
So, eager for a distraction, she brought up the dog. “I wonder how Ralph’s doing right now.”
“You left water and food, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” She frowned. “I just hope he’s not feeling lonely.”
Jon made a half smile. “Don’t worry, he’ll be all right. Now that Krantz knows we’re out here somewhere, he won’t be focusing on the house.”
She turned her attention to the warehouse building now. “I wonder how this place ever got built. I can’t imagine it was permitted way out here.”
“Not with the protected dunes and the preserve area.”
“As far as I know, building isn’t allowed in these parts. Residential or commercial.” She sighed. “Probably why some people warned me it wasn’t safe to run out on this stretch of beach. Too deserted.”
“This place obviously went up under the radar. My guess is that Krantz and his buddies hauled materials in here at night.” He narrowed his eyes as he studied the ugly building. “Pretty shoddy construction, too. Those metal sheets don’t even look properly screwed down.” He suddenly sat up, then turned to her. “Hey, I think I could get under one of the metal sheets. Just remove a few screws, then bend the metal up. We might be able to slip the hostages out through the side.”
“Do you have the right tools on your Swiss Army knife?” she asked hopefully.
“I might.” He was just reaching into his pocket when she heard something.
“Wait.” She put a hand on his arm, nodding toward the road. “I don’t think that’s a boat.”
“Sounds like a car coming,” he whispered.
Hunkering down behind the brush in the dusky damp air, they both waited and listened as the sound of a motor drew closer. It was definitely not a boat.
Leah felt her legs trembling as the sound of the car grew closer, and seeing the bright headlights through the brush sent a chill down her spine. This was it—time to pull off Jon’s big plan. She prayed that it would work as they hoped. Prayed that she’d have the strength to smash the car window with Jon’s rock. Prayed that they’d free the hostages and escape to safety.
As the car passed right in front of them and the headlights swept the brush, every muscle in her body grew tense. The car then turned around to face out to the road, backing up close to the gate. She felt a mixture of relief and disgust to see that it was Krantz’s unmarked car. The same dark vehicle that had pulled her over yesterday. She couldn’t see through the tinted windows, but she felt certain Krantz was behind the wheel.
This was it! Their chance to catch him in his own nasty trap, to turn him in to the authorities, to make him pay the price for his criminal ways. Everything in her felt ready now. Like a tightly wound spring, she was primed to jump into action. Just as soon as Krantz was safely inside the warehouse, she would pick up the rock and race over to the car.
As the car engine was turned off, Leah turned to Jon, giving him what she hoped looked like a self-assured nod—to indicate they could do this thing. He nodded back, and she felt a surge of confidence rush through her. Together they would take this thug down. They would rescue her mother and the girls—and get them safely out of this dark, horrible place. It was about to really happen!
Waiting for Krantz to emerge from the car, Leah replayed her role in Jon’s plan. She glanced at the stone sitting right next to her, imagining how she would jump to her feet, pick it up and dash to the driver’s side of the car. Jon had suggested that side was best for grabbing the rifle out of its holder between the front seats. She’d hoist the rock high, aiming it dead-center of the side window and then, using her full force, she would slam it down. She was just imagining reaching into the car when she heard the car door opening.
Holding her breath, she waited—watching as Krantz emerged from the car. He was still dressed in dark clothes, but the sunglasses were gone, exposing narrowed eyes that were cautiously darting all about—almost as if he knew he was being watched in the dusky light. And then to her horrified surprise, the passenger door opened from the other side. Another man, shorter and smaller than Krantz, got out. With a black stocking cap pulled low on his brow, he, too, was dressed in dark clothing.
Leah exchanged a frightened glance with Jon and knew they were both thinking the same thing—this was not part of the plan. It seemed unlikely for Jon, with his wounded leg, to catch Krantz by surprise and get him down to the ground—but a second man? That sounded impossible. And extremely dangerous. Maybe it was time to abort the mission. Come up with a different plan. But what?
“We need to get moving.” Krantz fumbled with a ring of keys. “Mack’s bringing the dory in right now. He expects us to meet him by six-thirty.”
“Want me to wait out here?” Stocking Cap asked in a gruff voice.
“Nah. I need you to help me get them out of there. Three of ’em are a handful. And that Hallie might look like an angel, but she’s a wildcat. You grab her—and make sure you get her hands cuffed good and tight before you bring her out. I’ll take care of the other two.”
“Got it.”
Krantz got the gate open, but from what Leah could see, he didn’t bother to lock it behind him. That was one thing in their favor. But two guys? That really changed the odds of this working. She glanced back at Jon again, ready to throw in the towel, but his eyes looked determined. As soon as Krantz and his buddy were inside the building, he was on his feet. “Let’s do this,” he said quietly but firmly.
“But there are two—”
“I know, Leah. It’s our only chance. Bust open that window and run that gun to me. I’m going in now. Be fast!” he hissed.
“Okay... ” She picked up the rock and, without saying another word, they both started to move toward the compound. Within seconds she was beside the car with both hands hoisting the rock above her head. Praying for the strength of Samson, she slammed the rock into the side window and watched as the shatterproof glass crumbled into neat tiny squares beneath the weight. But the sound of the breaking glass was loud. The men had to have heard it inside.
With a pounding heart, she hurried to open the door. Feeling certain that Krantz had to be outside by now, probably aiming his revolver right at her head, she reached for the automatic rifle, drew it out and turned.